AquaC Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer without Pump

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AC3511

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AquaC Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer without Pump
Information

Although protein is a necessary organic compound needed by fish and corals to grow and live, any excess amount is considered harmful to the aquarium. When protein breaks down, ammonia is released in the water. Ammonia is a chemical compound that -- if it comes in large amounts -- is toxic to fish. Ammonia also makes it harder for fish to breath underwater. The harder fish try to breathe, the more water they take in their gills. This action causes damage to their gills and as a result, to their respiratory system as a whole.

Therefore, it is necessary to remove excess protein from your aquarium using a skimmer, particularly the Aquac Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer Without Pump from Pet Store. This skimmer is small enough to be installed in an aquarium's existing pump without the need for special plumbing or high maintenance. It works by using a technology called spray induction, which involves the formation of thick sprays of foam to which the protein can stick to. The foam gets collected in the sump -- along with the captured protein -- to be disposed of later.

This simple device using a simple process will surely save you a lot of trouble. For your smaller fish tanks, get the Aquac Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer Without Pump and you will never be sorry.

The revolutionary AquaC protein skimmers do not use venturis, downdraft tubes, or air pumps; they employ the patented "Spray Injection System." This innovation allows the protein skimmer to efficiently draw in much more air than any other of the top protein skimmers. This coupled with the superiorly designed compact reaction chamber yields results that will literally blow the waste out of your water.

How does Spray Injection Work?

In 1998, Jason Kim (owner and founder of AquaC) developed a patented process of protein skimming which has come to be known as Spray Injection. Unlike previous forms of skimming, our spray injection method enables huge amounts of air and water to be processed with a relatively small pump. Although it is a simple process, there is still some confusion as to how the spray injector works.

Imagine that you're washing your car – you've got a bucket full of soapy water and a garden hose with a fast-moving stream of water. By placing your thumb over the end of the hose, you can disrupt the stream into a turbulent, high –pressure spray. Now direct that spray down into the bucket of water, and you'll generate a massive amount of bubbles and air flow. That is exactly how our spray injector works.

The skimmer body acts as a water reservoir – the bucket in the example above. Water is pumped through the spray injector, which has a special nozzle that fans the water out into a pressurized spray. This spray shoots into the skimmer body, generating millions of tiny air bubbles. As the bubbles are formed, more air is sucked into the skimmer as a result of the local drop in pressure and the process continues.

Most other forms of protein skimming rely on special valves or media to generate the air flow, and these parts quickly become clogged with salt, dust, or even mineral deposits. The AquaC spray injector is a relatively large nozzle that resists clogging, and when combined with a pump prefilter, can be considered maintenance free.

The Urchin is a compact sump skimmer that is designed based on the popular Remora Hang-On. These skimmers share the same internal structure and are identical in terms of performance. The Urchin is designed to sit inside of a sump, and is powered by a Maxi Jet 1200. There aren't many skimmers with such a small footprint with this level of performance.

Features:

The Urchin is built from translucent gray acrylic to inhibit the growth of algae and marine organisms.

The skimmer can be ordered with a collection drain fitting (optional).

The pump is attached to the skimmer via a section of flexible hose. The pump can be moved into any position you choose.

The collection cup is removed from the skimmer by pulling it up and out of the body. Please check that you have the required 23" of vertical clearance under you stand if you are considering the Urchin.

Specifications:

Tank Size (Gallons): 20-75

Dimensions: 19" tall x 6" wide x 2-3/4" deep

6" x 6" footprint (pump included)

Minimum vertical clearance is 23"

Water level exit height is 12-1/4"

Includes nylon cleaning brush

Manufacturer Info

AquaC Aquarium SuppliesAquaC was founded in 1998 as a small one-man operation in San Diego, California. The company has since grown to become one of the leading protein skimmer manufacturers in the United States and sells thousands of units globally every year. AquaC`s 5,000 square foot production facility in San Diego sets the standard in technology for acrylic fabrication. They use precision CNC machined parts and advanced thermoforming techniques to build products of unmatched quality and value. The company`s focus has remained the same after more than a decade in business: to provide high-quality products and top-notch customer service to customers with each and every transaction.

Warranty

Manufacturers Warranty: 90 days from date of purchase

AquaC Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer without Pump
Reviews

Awesome Skimmer

by
ERIC TOGUCHI

Excellent!

Posted: 8/29/2012 from Irvine, CA UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:After 2 weeks, this skimmer pulls out so much junk from my tank. I have to empty out the cup several times a week. Much better than the CPR skimmer which didn't pull anything out and was very noisy. This skimmer run really quiet as well which is the other plus.

Great Product!

by
Samhain

Excellent!

Posted: 4/12/2012 from MARSHALLVILLE, GA

5.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:Great, simple skimmer for those with medium-sized tanks and a limited budget. The Urchin is easy to set up, easy to dial in, and works well with a variety of pumps. I was a little hesitant to purchase the Urchin after using the Remora HOB, as the Remora is a very LOUD skimmer, but the Urchin is almost silent in operation. The break-in period is also relatively short, and after just a few hours it was pulling out gunk like a champ! I would very much recommend the Urchin to anyone with a medium-sized (i.e. less than 125 gallon) or smaller tank, especially beginners. The only downside is that the collection cup is rather small, so it does need to be cleaned at least every other day. On the other hand, the skimmer itself is fairly small, so it fits well in small sump systems. Overall, a really good product!

Extremely Easy

by
Travis

Excellent!

Posted: 1/19/2012 from BOULDER, CO UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Beginner

Comments:set it up in my sump system and after a few days it started pulling out waste just as the instructions said. Went with the remora because of it's compact size and the large volume of positive reviews of their products in different forum sites. Very satisfied.

get the right pump

by
OTIS GLAMORE

Excellent!

Posted: 9/28/2011 from Atlanta, GA UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Expert

Comments:Due to limited space, my previous experience with skimmers has been limited to the Marineland in-sump model, which requires constant adjustment as water levels fluctuate. Their reliability is also dubious at best (the first 2 didn't work at all and in 3 years , I have gone through at least 6). Now, a new skimmer has come along that fits in a limited space and works beautifully. It's simple, elegant and uses an external pump to do the work, so there are no moving parts in the skimmer to wear out. No adjusting, either
Two pumps are offered by this retailer, but the Marineland Maxi-Jet 1200 makes a great deal of noise ( the Manufacturer is trying to find the cause, but it seems to be a simple case of incompatibility since the pump works fine alone )...go with the Rio+ 800 and there is virtually no noise and the skimmer has "cycled" in 3 days. Excellent product!

Small SPS Tank

by
MAX

Excellent!

Posted: 2/9/2011 from MINNEAPOLIS, MN UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:The Urchin is a sleek package. I like that the pump is a maxi jet 1200, easy to replace and maintain. My sps tank load is light. It took a few days, and some adjusting of the collection cup (which is how you set the amount of foam) until I got it how I wanted it. I like it now though. Is perfect for my nano sps tank. The urchin sits in the sump though of course.

Ease setup

by
CHARLIE

Excellent!

Posted: 12/18/2010 from CA UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:I first found this skimmer on the AquaC website. It looked perfect for my Aqueon stage 1 proflex sump. I have had a hard time finding one that would fit in the second chamber of this sump. I emailed the company and within minutes there was a reply answering all my questions. The customer service is what sold this skimmer. The skimmer is great easy to maintain and adjust. The bubble adjustment is just a quick turn of a screw and the collection cup slides right off the top for cleaning.

Great skimmer

by
WILLIAM CARNEY

Excellent!

Posted: 4/4/2010 from MIDLOTHIAN, VA UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:In the last few years I have used about 5 different skimmers and by far this one is the best. It started producing some wet foam in just a few days after setup, with adjustment it is removing everything. Plus the fact that it works with a normal power head is great, this will be the last skimmer I will ever buy, and am extremely happy with it.

aqua c skimmer

by
BRENT BOUDREAUX

Great

Posted: 3/24/2010 from SLIDELL, LA UNITED STATES

4.05

Experience Level:
Intermediate

Comments:it took the normal week for it to break in but after that it has produced very consistant skimate. the skimate i'm getting now is about the color of watered down tea. i believe part of that has to do with the fact that my tank has a very low bio load. it consistantly produces a good amount of foam. it was very easy to dial in, plug and play as promised. the best part it takes up very little space in the sump.

Excellent Protein Skimmer

by
SHELDON OXENBERG

Excellent!

Posted: 2/5/2010 from CHERRY HILL, NJ UNITED STATES

5.05

Experience Level:
Expert

Comments:The AquaC Urchin In-Sump Protein Skimmer with Rio+ 800 pump is excellent. The Skimmer is built well, fits in a small space sump, easy to setup and use, creates nice foam independent of the water level in the sump, and with the Rio+ 800 pump is quiet with no hum or vibration. I have a 60 gallon cube salt water fish only tank and this is the best Protein Skimmer yet which I have used.